From the battlefield to the boardroom with homebuilder Lee Wetherington

February 12, 2026

Lee Wetherington founded Lee Wetherington Homes in Sarasota in 1981. He has since moved the company, one of the largest-builders in the Sarasota-Manatee region, to Lakewood Ranch. On this episode, Business Observer Managing Editor Mark Gordon and Lee talked about the ups and downs of being in the homebuilding business in Florida for more than 40 years, and the key decisions he had to make — in both good and bad times. They also talked about what he learned about leading from his time serving in combat in the Vietnam War.

3 Takeaways

(12:00) Be patient, give clear and concise commands
(13:30) Build trust with transparency and truth
(20:00) Always know your numbers

Timestamps

(00:00) Introducing Lee Wetherington, founder, Lee Wetherington Homes
(03:05) What is Lee Wetherington Homes?
(05:00) Starting Lee Wetherington Homes when interest rates were 18%
(06:40) Restructuring the company in 2010
(10:40) Lessons from the recession
(11:45) Lessons from the Marines in Vietnam
(13:30) How do you build trust in teams?
(16:20) Leading with certainty
(18:30) Mentors
(20:00) Advice to young entrepreneurs
(21:00) Being involved in philanthropy
(25:30) What are you looking forward to in 2026?

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